Attitudes of Physicians to Their Own Migraine: Can we Really Treat Ourselves?
Mirac Aysen Unsal11Department of Neurology, Sultan Abdulhamid Han Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey Sultan Abdulhamid Han Training Hospital, Neurology Department
Objectives: Despite its high prevalence and association with significant disability, up to half of individuals who fulfill the diagnostic criteria for migraine have never received a formal diagnosis from a physician. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to examine physicians' approaches to their own headaches, treatment choices, and disability using a questionnaire. Methods: The 27-item questionnaire collected data on demographic characteristics, migraine screening questions, number of migraine attacks per month, headache severity on a visual analog scale, preventive and acute treatments for migraine, number of days working when ill and days of missed work, and reasons for consulting a neurologist less than needed. Results: Among 198 migraneurs, only 42 (21.2%) had a consultation with a neurologist at any time of their lives, and 76 physicians (48.7%) said that they lacked time for a neurology visit. Conclusion: Migraine headache remains an under recognized and undertreated disease despite the availability of effective treatment options even among physicians. Keywords: Headache, migraine, migraine among physicians
Cite This Article
Unsal M. Attitudes of Physicians to Their Own Migraine: Can we Really Treat Ourselves?. EJMI. 2019; 3(1): 37-40
Corresponding Author: Mirac Aysen Unsal